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I see they have one race scheduled for the eastern region of the US. So much for the "National" HRDA.

Does the Outlaw series keep the NHRDA from having events out here or am I missing something?

Very poor turnouts and lots of weather issues is the reason they quit going. I have long poopooed the 1/8 mile as not real drag racing. But since I started racing my gasser here on my home track at 1/8 mile I have learned to like it. As it has been said, it should made much safer and less oil downs.

I think this is a good move. I've been involved in one crash and had another very close call on the drag strip. When going through the finish line at over 140mph and having a car just miss clipping my rear end made me realize that i was very lucky. I was a couple of feet away from most likely barrel rolling a 6000lb truck at over 140mph, I'm glad i didn't find out the results of doing that, it scared me. I understand that racing is not a safe sport and i accept that. I also agree with rule changes that will help the safety of everyone involved.

Now that we are all over 150mph and some way faster, the current 8.5 cert's are in no way safe at 6000lbs IMO. I believe the diesel racing organizations and racers have been very lucky that no one has been hurt. I think this rule will help if/when a crash occurs.

Also i think this will help have more racers in the field as it matches the Outlaw races as far as 1/8 mile. Now trucks that have gearing setup for the 1/8 and race the outlaw series, maybe will cross over to NHRDA and vise versa. Also less breakage and less down time for track clean up.

I do race quite a bit 1/8 mile in my gas cars throughout the year. It may not be as fun for the spectators but it still is a blast for the driver. I recommend trying it before condemning the 1/8 mile.

1/8 mile will help the field by allowing trucks that may be under powered to possibly be more competitive by working the tree, cutting a light, and having the truck dialed in to 60' well. IMO
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I really appreciate the safety aspect of 1/8 mile as the top speed is slower and safer for these heavy trucks, and Rob is one of the few that seem to appreciate the magnitude of the physics involved that would be devastating if there were a crash at top speed by a 5000-pound truck... Rob is also one of the few that I have seen with a beefy 2-inch diameter .120 wall cage that will be more likely to hold up in a high speed crash than some of these 1.5-inch .065 and .085 wall cages that I have seen. I think it would be great for the sanctioning bodies to address this before someone gets seriously injured or killed in a truck that was "fully caged" but folded up in an impact at well over 100 MPH with a 5-6000-pound truck...

But one thing I don't understand is the assumption that people keep repeating that there will be less breakage and downtime for cleanup with 1/8 mile as apposed to 1/4 mile... How many guys break down between the 1/8 and 1/4??? Seems that most of the breakage and oil downs that I see while shooting diesel events happens between the water box and 330-500 feet. At NHRDA events do a lot of trucks break past the 660???

I think the requirement for an engine and transmission diaper/containment device will be MUCH better at speeding up cleanup than going to 1/8 mile...

__________________

Chris Tobin
Editor--Ultimate Diesel Builder's GuideFreelance Editor and Photographer
Working with DIESEL WORLD, DIRT SPORTS, MUSCLE CAR POWER & STREET TRUCKS magazinestobinemail@aol.comI might be able to help get you in a mag.Custom poster size photos available. PM or email for info.

I really appreciate the safety aspect of 1/8 mile as the top speed is slower and safer for these heavy trucks, and Rob is one of the few that seem to appreciate the magnitude of the physics involved that would be devastating if there were a crash at top speed by a 5000-pound truck... Rob is also one of the few that I have seen with a beefy 2-inch diameter .120 wall cage that will be more likely to hold up in a high speed crash than some of these 1.5-inch .065 and .085 wall cages that I have seen. I think it would be great for the sanctioning bodies to address this before someone gets seriously injured or killed in a truck that was "fully caged" but folded up in an impact at well over 100 MPH with a 5-6000-pound truck...

But one thing I don't understand is the assumption that people keep repeating that there will be less breakage and downtime for cleanup with 1/8 mile as apposed to 1/4 mile... How many guys break down between the 1/8 and 1/4??? Seems that most of the breakage and oil downs that I see while shooting diesel events happens between the water box and 330-500 feet. At NHRDA events do a lot of trucks break past the 660???

I think the requirement for an engine and transmission diaper/containment device will be MUCH better at speeding up cleanup than going to 1/8 mile...

You don't think locked up in over drive isn't the highest stress level?

You don't think locked up in over drive isn't the highest stress level?

I seem to remember seeing more trucks break before 500 feet than after... As far as stress level, I would venture to guess that at launch on a sticky track coming off the trans brake would be the highest stress level... but I could very well be wrong.

Top end of the track problems seem to tend to be turbo related more often from what I have seen... Of course there are MANY exceptions to the rule like when the Scheid rail blew apart the well-seasoned block at TS, that happened toward the top end of the track.

__________________

Chris Tobin
Editor--Ultimate Diesel Builder's GuideFreelance Editor and Photographer
Working with DIESEL WORLD, DIRT SPORTS, MUSCLE CAR POWER & STREET TRUCKS magazinestobinemail@aol.comI might be able to help get you in a mag.Custom poster size photos available. PM or email for info.

1/8th mile is a great move and safer, there’s nothing special about going any further, and i can tell you from experience its hurts like a mofo to wreck these trucks at high speeds. If this saves 1 life then im all for it.

Thanks for the reply. It is somewhat disappointing to see the stands at any diesel drag racing event.

I'm curious if the NHRA has considered adding a couple diesel classes in the sportsman category?

When we had Bodacious at any drag strip, I realized that a large percentage of folks really don't know about diesel performance. Yep, even with todays tech and advertising, etc...

...and that goes for triple at the mud races. I believe diesel motorsports is still, somehow, in its infancy.

Prior to the NHRDA event scheduled for KY next year, the last NHRDA event east of the Mississippi was in Indy in 2014. The ODSS was formed over the Winter and Fleece sponsored the ODSS race at Indy in 2015. Turn out sucked... But, it was also the same weekend as the NHRDA event in St Louis that year.

Randy (NHRDA) couldn't get the following to really support the series east of the Mississippi. The big events like Scheid and TS were really all that existed for the longest in time (as Thunder in Muncie cam, went and came back).

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2014 2500 - Family Hauler
2006 2500 - "FRT6"
Doing it for fun at work and for real at home.

Prior to the NHRDA event scheduled for KY next year, the last NHRDA event east of the Mississippi was in Indy in 2014. The ODSS was formed over the Winter and Fleece sponsored the ODSS race at Indy in 2015. Turn out sucked... But, it was also the same weekend as the NHRDA event in St Louis that year.

Randy (NHRDA) couldn't get the following to really support the series east of the Mississippi. The big events like Scheid and TS were really all that existed for the longest in time (as Thunder in Muncie cam, went and came back).

this event is dead. closest thing to me on a map and it is no more. shame

Totally agree on the poor spectator turn outs, however there is always one thing that totally surprises me, and it happens all the time. When a diesel truck races a gas car and beats it the spectators love it.

I'm on the board of directors of our local track and we are adding a diesel class to our Friday night street legal racing this year. We get big turn outs for the Friday night event which also includes a no prep street outlaw class. The TV show has really helped in that matter. The diesel guys want a heads up race they are really not interested in bracket racing. We'll see if the diesel guys come through or it's all talk.

Prior to the NHRDA event scheduled for KY next year, the last NHRDA event east of the Mississippi was in Indy in 2014. The ODSS was formed over the Winter and Fleece sponsored the ODSS race at Indy in 2015. Turn out sucked... But, it was also the same weekend as the NHRDA event in St Louis that year.

Randy (NHRDA) couldn't get the following to really support the series east of the Mississippi. The big events like Scheid and TS were really all that existed for the longest in time (as Thunder in Muncie cam, went and came back).

I was at both the NHRDA 2014 Indy event and the Fleece 2015 Indy event and the turnout was MUCH better for the 2015 event than it was for the 2014 event...

One thing to bear in mind though for events at the Indy track is that the dragstrip grandstands are MASSIVE!!!! I think they hold something like 15-20,000 on EACH side of the track... So anything short of 10,000 people on each side will look pretty empty even when there is a pretty good crowd.

Look at UCC it is obvious that Indy can and will support a good crowd of diesel enthusiasts, and UCC had a great crowd, but it still was nowhere near full capacity... Nothing short of John Force will fill all of those seats!!!

__________________

Chris Tobin
Editor--Ultimate Diesel Builder's GuideFreelance Editor and Photographer
Working with DIESEL WORLD, DIRT SPORTS, MUSCLE CAR POWER & STREET TRUCKS magazinestobinemail@aol.comI might be able to help get you in a mag.Custom poster size photos available. PM or email for info.